Blood vs Water
by Rumpelstiltskin und Vladimir
Summary: Who does Cheyenne like better? -a rumpy only story-
**R: Just another rather fluffy Renegade story, courtesy of a prompt by Vlad. Enjoy and pleeeeaase review if you read~**

 ***DISCLAIMER* RV makes no claim to own Renegade or its characters. They are the property of Stephen J. Cannell. No profit is made from this writing.**

* * *

The window Bobby and Reno sat in front of gave the two bounty hunters a clear view of the mobile home across the way. The trailer they occupied was a small and rather empty one, rented for the sole purpose of staking out the double-wide across the street.

"How do you even know this Braxton guy is going to show up?" Reno broke the long silence, poking at the remaining contents of his carton of Chinese food with his fork.

Bobby looked away from his observation of the building. "Because," he started matter-of-factly, "I learned from a very reputable source that Mr. Braxton never leaves town without his wife, Mrs. Rachel Braxton," he explained. "She stashes the money he gets from the bank jobs."

"What if she already met up with him?" Reno suggested, raising an eyebrow at his partner.

"I was assured they hadn't," he said, but then added under his breath, "but if that snake was lying I want my fifty bucks back."

A smirk pulled at Reno's lips. "Source not so reputable, Sixkiller?"

"Hey, I'm sure that Braxton is going to show up," Bobby assured. "I got the information from one of my most reliable informants."

Reno spared another glance out the window. Outside, the sky was dimming, moving from crimson and amber towards a dark blue and casting everything in deep shadows. "Did your snitch say _when_ he'd show up?" he asked.

"Ah, no," he admitted. "But seeing as he's wanted for armed robbery, he'll probably come after dark."

Reno just nodded, leaning far back in his chair and discarding his take-out carton in a nearby trash pail. "So, Cheyenne couldn't make this stakeout?" he questioned curiously after a moment.

"No, I asked her to stay back in Bay City for this one," Bobby said. "The last two bounty hunters that went after Braxton wound up in the hospital."

"And she said yes?" Reno asked, surprise creeping into his voice and onto his face.

"Yeah, so?" Bobby gave him a confused look.

"Well, Chey's never been one to sit out just because you want to keep her safe," Reno said pointedly. "She must've had an ulterior motive."

"Oh yeah," he responded, raising an eyebrow, "Like what?"

Reno smirked again. "Like getting a vacation from her overprotective big brother."

Brow furrowing slightly in mild offense, Bobby took a moment to respond. "Hey, what makes you think it's because of me? Maybe she doesn't want to be on a stake out with _you_."

He shrugged slightly. "Because she likes me better."

"You!" Bobby said in disbelief. "I'm her _brother_."

"Exactly," Reno said. "She _got_ you. I'm her friend by choice."

"Hey, she 'got' you, too," Bobby retorted. "I'm the one who offered you a job, not Cheyenne. Besides, she clearly likes me better. She wouldn't work with me if she didn't," he added, rather smugly.

Shrugging a shoulder, Reno's smirk grew. "Funny, she's usually so quick to take my side over yours."

Reno had to hold back a laugh when Bobby let out a frustrated huff. "That's just simple infatuation, brother," he explained. "Familial bonds are stronger. The whole, blood's thicker than water thing."

"She's not your blood, Bobby," Reno reminded.

Bobby waved him off. "Regardless."

After a moment, Reno continued, "I still think she likes me better. I'm not overprotective just because she's a woman. I trust her skills."

"Hey, I trust her skills," Bobby defended. "And I'm not overprotective because she's a woman. I'm overprotective because she's my sister! And I'm overprotective of you, too. It's not gender-biased."

Reno's smirk softened somewhat to something more genuine. "Yeah, well, I know how she feels then."

"There's really only one way to settle this," Bobby said.

"How?" Reno asked.

Bobby reached into his jacket, pulling out his cellphone and holding it up with a wide grin.

* * *

The phone beside Cheyenne's bed blared its ring loudly, causing the woman to wake suddenly. She rubbed at her eyes, catching sight of the clock on her nightstand, reading 5:07. Groaning, she mumbled to herself and picked up the phone.

"Yes?" she said tiredly, internally screaming that this better be important.

"Chey, it's Bobby, where have you been?" her brother's voice came through the receiver, sounding confused and maybe slightly irritated. "I've been calling you all night!"

"Why, what, wait," she stuttered slightly, trying to wrap her groggy mind around what was being said. "Are you okay? Did you get Braxton?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're fine," he said hurriedly. "We got Braxton, I'm bringing him in now."

"Oh, okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "Is that it?"

"No, I have to ask you something important," he said. She mumbled for him to continue and he asked, "Who do you like better, me or Reno?"

She blinked in confusion, figuring she heard wrong. "What?"

"Who do you like better, me, your dear brother, or Reno?"

* * *

Bobby leaned against the side of his hummer, ear pressed against his cellphone. Reno watched him in a mix of curiosity and amusement. He could hear Cheyenne's muffled voice coming through it, and she didn't sound happy.

He couldn't make out much of what she was saying, but enough to know she didn't appreciate getting woken up at five in the morning, that they were _children_ if this is what they were talking about, and that it wasn't just Bobby she was annoyed with.

Bobby winced at the slew of words coming through the phone until it abruptly ended. He returned it to his jacket and turned back to his partner, clearing his throat with a clearly embarrassed look.

"Uh, I think we're about tied right now."

* * *

 **V: *cackling gleefully in the background***


End file.
